Clip pin



H. C. HOOKS Dec. 26, 1939.

Patented Dec. 26, 1939 UNITED STATE CLIP PIN Herbert G. Hooks,Bellerose, N. Y., assignor to Moore Push-Pin 00.,

Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 3,1939, Serial No. 249,129

1 Claim.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an improved form ofclip for supporting electric Wires or cords at the baseboard of a roomor in other favorable positions. I,

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide a clip ofthis general type that will be more positive in its mode of attachmentthan the clips of the prior conventional type and less liable toaccidental displacement.

Still another specific object of the invention is to provide a clip inthe form of a tack or push pin which without undue mutilation of thewoodwork may be inserted at the top of a baseboard and against theadjoining wall surface to retain electric wires or cords, said cliphaving a desirable ornamental appearance and having a degree ofpermanency in installation lacking in the conventional clip of the priorart.

The invention further resides in certain structural details affectingthe efficiency of the device,

as hereinafter described.

In the attached drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a preferred form of clip made inaccordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing the manner in which the clip isapplied in a baseboard installation;

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating a preferred method of forming the clipshown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view perspective of a modified form of clip falling withinthe scope of my invention, and

Fig. 5 illustrates a desirable method of manufacturing the clip shown inFig. 4.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the clip thereinillustrated comprises a bowed body portion I having at one end aprojecting attenuated prong 2. Preferably, and as illustrated, theforward edges of the body I turn outwardly to form at said edges lips 4and 5 respectively which present outer smooth surfaces 4a and 5adefining the plane of the open front of the body. The prong 2 joins thebody at a point slightly to the rear of the lip 4 and is thereby offsetrearwardly from the plane defined by the surfaces 4a. and 5a; and theprong extends on a line substantially parallel to the said plane. Thisrelation of parts has a functional significance now to be described.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing, I have illustrated the clip in a baseboardinstallation. In applying the clip, the latter is placed with the openside against the surface of the wall 6 and over the electric wire orwires 1. The clip is now moved downwardly against the wall surface untilthe prong engages the upper edge of the baseboard 8, a procedure thatmay be followed without danger 'of mutilating the wall by reason of thesmooth surface contact provided by the sur- 5 faces do and 5a previouslydescribed. The tip of the prong 2 having thus been brought into contactwith the top of the baseboard, downward pressure upon the body of theclip will result in the penetration of the board by the prong. By 10reason of the fact that the prong is parallel to the plane passingthrough the surfaces 4a and 5a and, therefore, to the plane of the wallagainst which these surfaces bear, the wall in this operation acts as aguide insuring penetration of the 15 pin into the baseboard in an exactlongitudinal direction. This not only materially facilitates theoperation of establishing the clip in position, but prevents anytransverse movement of the prong during penetration that might cause adis- 20 tortion of the latter or undue mutilation of the wood of thebaseboard. When the clip is thus installed, it is held by the prongflatly and securely against the wall surface in a manner effectivelyprecluding accidental displacement and 25 insuring maintenance of theentire series of clips in their normal properly aligned positions in thebaseboard.

While I prefer to form the body of the clip as described with theoutturned lips 4a and 5a at 30 opposite ends, it will be apparent thatthis is not essential to a proper functioning of the device for theintended purpose. Thus without departure from the invention, the upperand lower edges of the bowed body I, or either of said edges, 35 may beterminated in a common plane paralleling the prong 2 and. may besmoothed off in any suitable manner to avoid the sharp scraping edgesthat might otherwise damage the wall as set forth above.

I prefer to produce the clip shown in Fig. 1 from asheet metal blank ofthe form shown in Fig. 3. In shaping the clip from this blank the metalis out along the broken lines 9 to form the base portion of the prong,and this has the 45 effect of offsetting the prong, as described, fromthe plane defined by the forward edges of the bowed body portion.Subsequently the projecting prong is swaged to produce the desirableattenuated form insuring ready penetration of the 50 woodwork withoutundue mutilation of the latter.

. In Fig. 4, I have illustrated another embodiment of my inventionwherein the prong 2a is cut out in its entirety from the body la of theclip, the clip in all other respects being similar 55 to the onedescribed above. In the production of the clip shown in Fig. 4, a blankof the type shown in Fig. 5 is employed, the dotted lines 9a indicatingthe portion of this rectangular blank which is pressed out to form theprong. In either embodiment of the invention, the prong may betransversely grooved or scored in order to increase its hold in the woodafter penetration.

There may be other modifications without departure from the invention asdefined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A cord-retaining clip of the character described, said clip comprising abody member adapted to seat against a wall or other fiat surface andshaped with a transverse recess in the seating side thereof within whichthe said cord may be confined between the said body and the Wall orother fiat surface against which the body is seated, said body havinglips at opposite sides of said recess presenting bearing surfaces lyingin the same plane", said lips adapted to contact with wall or other flatsurface and to form a;

stable support upon said wall or other fiat surface for said body, anattenuated prong extending from said body in a direction at right anglesto the transverse line of said recess, said prong paralleling and beingoffset rearwardly from the plane of the bearing surfaces of said lips,whereby when the body is seated against said wall or other fiat surfacethe said prong will lie in parallel spaced relation to said Wall orother flat surface, and said lips being smooth and free from acute edgesso as to permitthe body to slide against said wall or other fiat surfacewithout mutilating the latter, thereby permitting the use of said Wall'or other fiat surface as a guide in directingthe prong into penetrativeengagement with an anchoring member outstanding from said wall or otherflat surface.

HERBERT C. HOOKS.

